Grandpa's Orchard Nursery?

[PrairieShadow]

Buy Fruit Trees from Grandpa's Orchard Nursery

Anyone Have any experience with these guys? Lots of good info on their website.

 

[gunfun13]

Yes, I've purchased from them a couple times and have been happy with their stock. Disappointed with this years selection variety/rootstock combination. Seems many good wildlife varieties are only offered on dwarfing rootstock.

 

[PrairieShadow]

Yes, I've purchased from them a couple times and have been happy with their stock. Disappointed with this years selection variety/rootstock combination. Seems many good wildlife varieties are only offered on dwarfing rootstock.

I'm probably going to end up ordering on M7 rootstock. Not finding a whole lot else. I do have an order in to SLN on antonovka but the more I read the more I think I don't want trees from SLN.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

Think your selling yourself a tad short on dumping the SLN trees so early.

Trees are a long term investment. I want them around long after I'm dead.

Check out your local conservation district. They usually have good trees for a fair price and they come from baileys, they around 3 years ahead of SLN size wise but you tend to get stuck with more "for people" varieties.

 

[PrairieShadow]

Thanks Turtles.

I'll put the SLN trees in the ground for sure as they are already ordered. I'll also be looking other places as well for trees that may bear fruit in the next 2-3 years.

I've ordered over 10k trees from my local conservation district in the last 10-12 years, probably another 400-500 this year. Generally good trees. What I don't like about them for fruit is, They cannot tell me where my trees will come from or what rootstock they are on. Generally cannot tell me how big of tree I'm getting either. I think its just laziness on her part but nonetheless.

 

[homerj1]

Nothing wrong with getting a few trees on M7. They'll produce fruit in probably half the time or less than trees on Antonovka. Of course, the trees on Antonovka will likely be alive decades after those on M7.

 

[Prof.Kent]

I've ordered from Grandpa's Nursury several times. As with any nursery it's first-come-first-served so the largest and best feathered whips go first. If the selection is small you're going to get a whip. If you like a variety but it only come on M7 buy a B17 or ant. rootstock and graft your own from the M7. By the time the M7 is fruiting the B17 is well on its way to fruiting.

 

[Diesel5610]

I'm probably going to end up ordering on M7 rootstock. Not finding a whole lot else. I do have an order in to SLN on antonovka but the more I read the more I think I don't want trees from SLN.

You take what you can get with obtaining the varieties you want on the rootstock you want. If you got the trees you want just baby the hell out of them and I bet you will be happy in the end. The only thing worse than getting skinny little whips, is not being able to find trees to order at all.

The professor’s idea about buying rootstock and grafting off your little whips is something that sounds like an interesting option. If you haven’t learned how to graft yet I suggest you try it. It adds a new aspect to this hobby and also allows you to have whatever trees you want on whatever rootstock you want it on. Wish I had started a long time ago.

 

[PrairieShadow]

You take what you can get with obtaining the varieties you want on the rootstock you want. If you got the trees you want just baby the hell out of them and I bet you will be happy in the end. The only thing worse than getting skinny little whips, is not being able to find trees to order at all.

The professor’s idea about buying rootstock and grafting off your little whips is something that sounds like an interesting option. If you haven’t learned how to graft yet I suggest you try it. It adds a new aspect to this hobby and also allows you to have whatever trees you want on whatever rootstock you want it on. Wish I had started a long time ago.

I did try grafting a few years back. I had zero success with it. I need to try again.

 

[Prof.Kent]

You take what you can get with obtaining the varieties you want on the rootstock you want. If you got the trees you want just baby the hell out of them and I bet you will be happy in the end. The only thing worse than getting skinny little whips, is not being able to find trees to order at all.

The professor’s idea about buying rootstock and grafting off your little whips is something that sounds like an interesting option. If you haven’t learned how to graft yet I suggest you try it. It adds a new aspect to this hobby and also allows you to have whatever trees you want on whatever rootstock you want it on. Wish I had started a long time ago.

I had once planned on planting an orchard consisting of every other tree a M7 and every other tree a B17 on 12 -foot centers. After 15 years, cut all the M7's down. Instead I have a mish-mash of varieties on different root stocks.

 

[PrairieShadow]

I had once planned on planting an orchard consisting of every other tree a M7 and every other tree a B17 on 12 -foot centers. After 15 years, cut all the M7's down. Instead I have a mish-mash of varieties on different root stocks.

What didn’t you like about B7?

 

[Turkey Creek]

I'm probably going to end up ordering on M7 rootstock. Not finding a whole lot else. I do have an order in to SLN on antonovka but the more I read the more I think I don't want trees from SLN.

Check out our inventory and see if you might find what you are looking for. turkeycreektrees.com

 

[b116757]

I’ve had some anchorage issues with M7. I have a Liberty that fell over partially and I pulled it back over with my tractor loader drove in a tpost next to it and tied it back upright. I wouldn’t fool with such small trees in the future intentionally for my purposes but I’ll buy one once in a while if it gets me the apple verity I’m after and it’s the only rootstock available.

 

[Teeder]

Didn't I read somewhere that you can bury the graft and then the graft will root and become a standard size tree?

 

[Prof.Kent]

What didn’t you like about B7?

M7 has to be staked. I have sandy soil so trees tip if they don't have a big solid root system.

 

[b116757]

Didn't I read somewhere that you can bury the graft and then the graft will root and become a standard size tree?

Yes this is my normal mode of operation regardless of the root stock because I like full size trees and am willing to wait for fruiting. It’s particularly important for northern growers. When I lived in Northern Wisconsin Zone 3 I had many graft failures do to the cold. My brother who still lives up there buries all his grafts now on any he plants. I planted around 20 fruit trees last spring and I buried the graft on all but one apple tree it’s graft was simply to high to dig a hole that deep. Most of the time it’s only a couple inches above the root collar.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Wallace had red baron on "standard" root stock and chestnut crabs and dolgos advertised as being big trees so they might be worth a look.